A Surprise Long Awaited
by AllyKat82
Summary: A quick glimpse into post SAO life, still centered in my little AU. May be a one shot, may not, not sure. Read and review please!
1. February 14

**Well, I've been busy with things; life, work, working on my own IP novel, and the like. But I couldn't pass up the** **opportunity to share this little slice of SAO with you. It is set Post ALO, Pre GGO and Pre the ending of my last story. Not sure if it will be a one shot or not, cast your vote!**

 **EDIT: Apparently Cardinal didn't like my story and tried to redact the whole thing. It should be fixed now.**

I stretched, trying to work a kink out of my back. I'd been standing at this counter for far longer than I thought I would be and I wasn't even close to being done.

I wiped my brow and picked turned my attention back to what I was doing, glancing at the clock on the wall. I had about four hours before I had to leave if I wanted to get there on time and I wasn't sure how this would turn out this time. I had a few failed attempts that Keiko had agreed to help with later on.

The timer dinged and I opened the oven door, pulling the tray out and setting it on the cooling rack I had set on the countertop and picked up the pot I had sitting to the side, spooning out the melted chocolate that had been cooling slightly. Once I finished drizzling it, I rushed to my room and changed into on oversized pullover sweater and a pair of leggings. I walked back into the kitchen buckling a wide belt over my sweater and pulled the box out of the pantry and put some tissue paper inside.

As I put the chocolate coated treats into the box, I smiled. Though there had been a lot of times that I had wanted to do something like this, being trapped in SAO tended to focus one's mind to more important things. Not to mention that until recently I didn't have anyone to do this with made things a little difficult.

I closed the box and tied it with a red ribbon that reminded me of the dress I wore as a blacksmith. I couldn't help but smile at the memories. I wrapped the box in a black and silver cloth that I had asked Argo to help me find, matching the color of a particular coat and stashed it in my purse, wondering why I carried one despite only having a few things inside that I could easily tuck into the pockets of a light coat.

Pulling on a pair of tall socks and some boots I had gotten as a gift I hurried out the door, heading for the nearest bus stop. It was hard to move quickly in these boots given the height of the heels but I wanted to look as nice as I could and these made me feel great.

I got off at the Nagoya stop and walked towards the park, seeing a certain form lounging on the bench with some sort of technical magazine in his hands. He glanced up and smiled as I approached.

"Hey Rika," he said, standing. "You look great."

I smirked, even as the flush creeped up my neck. "You don't look so bad yourself, Kazuto," I said, giving him a quick hug and slipping a hand into one of his back pockets. "So what have you got planned, buster?"

"I was thinking a quiet dinner and a ride through one of the parks since they've got those carriages going tonight." He slipped an arm across my shoulders as we turned towards the park entrance. "That ok with you?"

I smiled and looked up at him. "Have I ever said no to time with you?"

"There was that technical conference I asked you to attend with me in November," he said.

"I'm not really as into tech aspects as you are, dear." I patted his stomach as we walked. "But I was more than happy to tell Yui about the information that you were getting while you were gone."

He smiled. "I wondered why she about knocked me down when I got back and visited. Now I know."

Dinner was amazing, though I did secretly worry about the price. The restaurant Kazuto took me too was rather nice and the menu showed that even the inexpensive dishes were somewhat pricy compared to the soba shops and burger joints I tended to hit when cooking was not high on my to-do lists. But the food was well worth the price even though we declined to have a dessert.

While we waited for the check, I pulled the box from my purse and slid it across the table.

"Happy Valentines Day, Kazuto," I said, suddenly nervous. "I hope they taste ok."

He unwrapped the gift box and tasted one of the homemade wafer cookies I had spent a good time making with some questionable results. His eyes opened wide as he chewed and swallowed. My heart was thudding as I waited.

"Rika, that was amazing! I didn't know you had learned to bake like that," he said,

I blushed in embarassment. After returning from the death game, I had tried my hand at cooking and baking and preferred not to think of the results. However, practice makes perfect, especially when you know someone that seems to be able to do it instinctively to tutor you…again.

"Well, you don't have to make it sound like I don't know what I'm doing," I said teasingly. He tucked the wrapped box into a jacket pocket and after paying the bill we left.

The carriage ride through the park was one of the most romantic things I had ever been treated to and we cuddled close with a warm blanket draped across our legs. As the driver started to turn around to return to the entrance, Kazuto shifted in his seat, turning to face me and taking my hands into his.

"Rika," he began, sounding slightly nervous. "I just wanted you to know that I love you so much."

I quirked an eyebrow. "I kinda guessed as much, considering how much time we spend together."

"Beyond that," he said, reaching into his pocket and producing a small velvet box.

My heart sped up and my vision misted over as he opened it, revealing a ring nestled within.

"Rika, I know we've been married for three years now," he said, holding my eyes with his. "But I want to make it official here, in the real world.

"Will you marry me?"

I pulled my hands from his to swipe at tears that streamed down my face, glad that I was never as big on makeup as Asuna or Keiko, otherwise I'd have mascara running down my cheeks.

"You big dummy," I said as I grabbed his coat and pulled him close for a kiss. "Did you truly think I'd say no?"

"No, but I wanted to ask for the authenticity." He took the ring from the box and slid it onto my finger.

I leaned into him as the carriage clip-clopped to the front of the park. I kept glancing down and admiring the ring as it caught lamplight and sparkled.

"You realize that Keiko, Asuna, and Sugu are going to freak, you know?"

He smiled. "Not so much," he said, squeezing me. "Keiko helped me find out your size, Asuna reccommended the shop, and Suguha went with me to narrow the choices down."

I stared at him. "How long have you been planning this, Kazuto Kirigaya?" I demanded.

"Ever since we got back from SAO," he said,

I gaped. I then kissed him and held him as I whispered into his ear.

"I think you deserve more than just cookies then," I then snuggled into him. "But first I have to plan my revenge on my four best friends for keeping this a secret from me for so long."

Good surprise or not, biggest wish or not, I still hate not knowing that something like that had gone on without my even getting a bit wise to it.

I then perked up.

"I'm not going to have to fend off them pushing wedding plans, am I?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"You know them, they'll probably help if you ask but they won't push."

"Good," I said, settling in again.

"I've got to get used to the idea myself first."


	2. March 8

**I worry about this part myself if I ever get married. I'm picky about formal dresses and have a friend that loves frills and princess fashion.**

 **Hope this meets your expectations!**

"RIka! Come look at this one!" cried Keiko from across the store.

I sighed, rubbing my feet before sliding back into my shoes. Why I thought I'd be able to go dress shopping in wedges with Asuna and Keiko and not be sore I'll never know. They both seem to be more into this than I am anyway.

"Rika!" came the cry again.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I grumbled, standing up. I loved these two girls, honestly I did, but I didn't think I'd be doing it for five hours either. Every aspect of this kept turning out to be more and more hassle. We hadn't even set a date but my friends and family kept asking about colors and venue and if it would be traditional or western, and my head was constantly spinning between that and my nursing studies. It was almost more than I could keep track of!

"What do you think, huh?" said the slight girl as she indicated the dress on the rack in front of us, and inwardly my stomach churned.

It was a pearly white and lined with as many ribbons and frills as it could be. It's beaded bodice was cut tight through the waist and looked to be made with a built in corset. The skirt wasn't overly long, but was decked out in an intricate pattern embroidered onto its main layer.

"Uh," I stammered. It was beautiful, but it wasn't something I could see myself in. Keiko had been consistently picking dresses more suited for princesses than the simple ceremony that Kazuto and I wanted.

"It's lovely, Keiko," I said, fingering the beading.

"But still too much." she finished, furrowing her brow as she thought.

"Rika?" Asuna asked from behind me.

I turned and felt my jaw drop.

She held a dress that blended both western dress style and traditional Japanese fashion. A solid bodice with simple beading, a square cut neckline and a sakura pattern was separated from the skirts by a wide obi of heather gray. The skirts were layered and split low in the front, suggesting a traditional formal kimono. Wide furisode sleeves dangled elegantly and they were lined with silk the same gray as the obi.

"Ooooh," gasped Keiko, reaching out to touch the garment.

I moved forward, entranced. It was amazing, both simple and yet beautiful. It felt soft and light to my touch but a frisson ran up my spine as my fingers ran across it.

"This is it," I whispered. I looked at Asuna. "Where did you find this?"

She gestured at a corner of the store that seemed deserted. "I simply went and looked where no one else seemed to be looking. There were a lot of unusual styles, but this one was the simplest one. And seeing how you responded to my and Keiko's early suggestions, I figured I'd look for something more toned down."

I took the gown from her and slipped into the changing room. It was zippered up the back and was more fitted than it appeared. The obi hid the waistline, but it tucked in slightly before falling loose from the hips down. The obi also helped give form to the neckline, keeping it from dipping too low and exposing more décolletage than I felt comfortable showing. I did the final ties to the sash and stepped out, feeling the tug of the train.

Their faces were filled with smiles as I stepped in front of a mirror and received a shock.

Standing there was a beautiful young woman, the light pink of the sakura blooms giving her skin a slight glow. She stood with her back straight and head held in a way that belied the amazed look on her face. There was something about this dress that made me stand straight and tall, my head pulled up as though I hung from a string attached to my scalp.

"Hold on a moment, Rika," Asuna said, digging her phone out and dialing a number. A few seconds later she turned the phone around so the camera was facing me. Just as I registered the face on the phone I heard a loud squeal come forth.

"Wow! Mommy, you look so beautiful!" Yui said, looking out from Asuna's phone. I felt tears build behind my eyes but I didn't want to cry in this dress.

Not today anyway.

"Yui, you can't tell Daddy what my dress looks like," I said smiling. "We don't want to miss the look of surprise on his face on the day."

I saw Keiko lower her phone, a sheepish look on her face.

"Mommy, can I be there too?"

I leaned forward, putting my face close to the camera. "What a silly question! Of course you're going to be there! Hasn't Daddy been working on that interface for you all week?"

I thought she was going to pass out from how happy she looked and giggled. As she talked to Asuna and Keiko I hunted for the price tag and my eyes tried to leap from my head.

"Oh man," I gasped.

"What is it?" asked Asuna.

"It's two hundred fifty thousand Yen," I said, feeling a deep chasm in my heart. "That was WAY out of my budget. That was more than I made in a month of waiting tables at the maid cafe. I could feel my hand trembling as it held the tag.

"Is everything going ok?" asked a clerk as she walked by with a veiled headdress.

"Yes, I just saw the price of the gown just now and it surprised me," I said, a sad smile on my face.

"Oh, if that's bothering you, we do allow rentals and payment options. Is the wedding soon?"

"They haven't set a date yet," Asuna said, smiling at me.

"Then when you're ready I can place the dress on reserve for you. That way it will still be here when you decide on a date and we can offer you our full services." She smiled at us and gave a slight bow before going over to a couple of older women with the headdress.

I glanced back in the mirror again, and felt a sly smile spread across my lips as I turned back to my friends.

"I think Kazuto won't know what hit him," I said.


	3. April 22

**A bit of a short one since I'm on a roll with ideas for both fanfics and my original novel and want to do as much as possible.**

"I thought we were just going to have a simple wedding, Rika," Kazuto said setting down the circuit board he had been fiddling with.

"We are," I said, flipping through the sample folder from the caterer. "But there are some things that I want to do right."

"This is the fourth sample book you've looked through," he said. "And you haven't paused for a moment on anything."

I closed the binder I had in my lap and twisted on the couch to face him. "Kazuto, you know that I love you, and will do anything for you, but if I don't do this, it'll fall to Asuna and Keiko, and we already know how that will go."

He nodded, remembering my stories from dress shopping and trying to pick colors for the groomsmen. We had decided for a non-traditional ceremony, given the fact that the gown now sitting in reserve at the dress shop blended two styles nicely enough. We had taken a look at several nice gathering halls that would fit most of the friends we would invite and had talked to Andrew to be our MC for the non-religious event. Though we would still do the sansankudo, that was more or less the only traditional part we would observe outside of the wedding party wearing formal wear. We had narrowed down the date to a fall wedding, but that was as far as we had gotten there.

"Besides," I said, picking up another binder. "We need to figure out who is going to feed everyone at this thing because you've seen how Ryoutarou can eat." I paused at a page that showed what looked like a cross between barbecued meats and thick soups. "What about this?" I asked.

He glanced at the page. "Well, it will be nice if it turns out to be cold on the day. Nice warm food." He scooted over and draped an arm over my shoulders. "Looks like they have a pretty good variety, too."

I nodded. "And pretty affordable, too." I flipped a few more pages to get to the pastries and cakes. "So are the pastry options." Then I flipped a page and was blinded by a sublime vision of white frosting and lemon-yelllow fondant decorations.

"Is that," Kazuto began, looking at the picture.

"Thinker and Yulier's wedding cake," I whispered, recognizing the guild symbol of the Aincrad Liberation Army. The caption showed their real names, but we knew from the symbol whose it was. I glanced at him and smiled.

"Do you still have the screencaps of Dark Repulser?" I asked.

"You know I do, Liiiiisbeth." he said, using the old teasing name. "And of your Asgarde, too."

"Then I think we're together on this?" I asked, tossing the binder onto the table and leaning into him.

"Always"

That word echoed in my mind even hours later as I laid down to sleep.

 _Always_


	4. November 7

**This will be it for this one. I've got to buckle down and focus on my original novel since I'm in the final stretch, but fear not! As soon as it's handed off to the editors I'll be focusing my writing energy on the ALO story.**

 **If anyone is interested in a sneak peak of that, btw, feel free to PM me.**

I could hardly contain my breathing, let alone slow my racing heart. The dress I was wearing suddenly seemed heavy, confining. I shook my head again, resettling my grip on the bouquet in my hands. The lilies matched the hue my hair had been in the game world and my normally bed-mussed hair had been brushed and coiffed so much that I swear I had gained another five inches in height. Thank goodness I had chosen sensible shoes with a low heel. It seems like this was taking forever. Keiko and Suguha were milling by the door, glancing out at the assembled crowd.

"Stop fidgeting," Asuna said as she pulled her heels on and stood, flicking her long hair behind her shoulders. "I never thought you'd be a nervous bride."

"I can't help it." I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "This is a big deal, Asuna. I have every right to be nervous."

"Yes, but fidgeting will wrinkle your gown if you aren't careful."

I froze, looking down in horror at my skirts, fearing that I had ruined the carefully arranged layers.

"Got ya."

I glared at her but before I could make a retort the music started up.

"There's our cue," Keiko said, her hair done up in simple curls and she started out, holding her bouquet in-front of her. Sugu gave me a wink before gliding out herself.

Asuna paused before she flitted away, giving me a warm smile. "Don't keep us waiting, ok?"

And I was left by myself. A cold fear was coiled in my stomach. I was petrified.

"Come on, Rika," I said aloud. "This isn't like finding out there's no logout button."

I took the first step towards the doors, and took a deep breath. Through the doors I saw the assembled parties, those that were SAO survivors wearing their guild's colors and armbands with the insignia.

And standing at the altar, wearing a tuxedo with a longer than normal coat was Kazuto. His mop of hair had been combed and tamed, and his jaw dropped when he saw my gown. Ryoutarou grinned, his hair a fiery blaze against the black and grey of his suit.

Andrew stood at the head of the aisle, still as imposing as he had ever been. Behind him, screencaps and photos of Kazuto and my life together flashed by in fifteen-second intervals. I entered just in time to see a picture of us and Yui and glanced to the side where my maids of honor were standing to see a large screen and the eager young girl watching via a webcam.

Joy and warmth welled up in my chest and a tear threatened to slip free.

 _Don't you dare,_ I thought. _Asuna worked hard on this makeup and I'll be damned if I mess it up before Kazuto sees it up close._

I finally stood in front of him, and heard him whisper. "You look amazing."

I winked in reply, showing the subtle coloring Asuna had done across my lids. His shocked pause was worth it.

Andrew cleared his throat. "Alright, now this isn't exactly a traditional gig," he began. "Firstly, these two were married for almost a year and a half in Aincrad. Not to mention that they've already had the paperwork done. This here is mostly for the folks and dreams."

He placed his massive hands on each of our shoulders. "But that shouldn't and doesn't diminish the event about to take place. Sometimes the spectacle is just as important. Now, does anyone here have any reason why these two shouldn't be wed?"

My heart slammed against my ribs, fear trying to climb back up, but no one raised their voice.

"Well, all right then." He looked at me. "Rika, do you take this man as your husband, despite all the annoyance and trouble he'll be, in sickness and health, and so on?"

I smiled and looked the Black Swordsman. I could see the images of his various avatars in my mind's eye.

"I do."

"And Kazuto, do you take the woman as your wife, for all the same reasons?"

"I do."

"Then in that case, I hearby formally name you man and wife. You know what to do."

That kiss I'll remember all the rest of my days.

"Ok, ok, save some of it. Time for the shindig to begin!" The large man turned us towards the assembled group who had stood at some point. "Mr. and Mrs. Kazuto Kirigaya," he said solemnly.

The cheer was loud, but I could still hear Yui's excited laughter over it all.

We moved over to the table where the cake was set up, the biggest work of art I'd ever seen in person. Instead of a bride and groom topper, the baker had 3-D printed exact replicas of my Asgarde and Kazuto's Dark Repulsor and Elucidator and had them set in a tripod setup as though set down after a battle.

The rest of the night was a blur of well wishers, people hugging and shaking hands, and toasts and cheers. Sugu caught the bouquet and Ryoutarou caught the my garter.

I never understood that particular tradition, but if I was going to toss the flowers might as well go whole hog.

I was still flying as I lay on my side later that night, left hand resting lightly on Kazuto's chest, the gold gleaming lightly and contrasted by the sparkle of the diamond in the engagement ring he had given me 9 months ago.

"You are unusually quiet," he murmured.

"It's still quite a lot to take in," I said nestling my head against his shoulder. "There wasn't a lot of fanfare in SAO, and now it's official here in the real world."

"I still can't believe we had to tell your parents why we chose the date and theme we did."

I chuckled. "Well, for half the guests, there is no bigger date. Why not give it some more happy memories to counterbalance the bad?"

He shifted slightly and kissed me lightly. "By the way, I have a surprise for you next Monday."

"Oh? Why wait that long?"

"One, fabrication takes some time. Two, we're on our honeymoon, and three," he leaned in and kissed me again. "I kind of want you to myself for a week."

I smiled and snaked my arms around his neck.

"In that case, I think I can wait a week."

 ** _Epilogue_**

"Kazuto, what is this?"

He pulled the sheet down slightly, revealing a partially assembled array of servos, wires, and cables.

"It's a prototype for a bio-synthetic body. Using neural memetic tissue and conduction plates it will allow for full sensation and control for the users."

"And now in plain talk?"

"It's going to be a new type of prosthetic which will allow nearly perfect semblance of the original limb. I got the idea from Yuuki's linkup and some reverse engineering." He pointed to one part, a portion of the exterior covered in what I recognized as curing synthetic skin. "But the medical application isn't the only reason I've been working on this."

"Ok, then what? This is a pretty good use of the technology Kayaba created."

"If the tests and simulations are correct, then this can be used to create and fully bio-synthetic body. We're still doing tests and looking for better construction methods, but we're fairly sure that we could build one that grows and self repairs more or less like our bodies. Which means that fairly soon, if things go right, we'll have to turn that spare room into a child's bedroom."

All the details flashed into focus. "Yui," I breathed.

My husband nodded. "She's already agree to help test and she can control these prototypes perfectly."

I'm pretty sure he was still feeling the bruises on his back from where he landed on the floor from my tackle but between my kiss and the joy I'm sure I was radiating, I'm sure he won't complain.


End file.
